There are a wide variety of image detectors, such as visible image detectors, infrared image detectors, or other types of image detectors that are typically provided within an image detector array to capture an image to store or to display. As an example, a microbolometer, which detects infrared radiation, is a well known type of image detector. Modern microbolometer structures are typically fabricated on monolithic silicon substrates to form an image detector array of microbolometers, with each microbolometer functioning as a pixel to produce a two-dimensional image. The change in resistance of each microbolometer is translated into a time-multiplexed electrical signal by circuitry known as the read out integrated circuit (ROIC). The combination of the ROIC and the microbolometer array (or image detector array) is commonly known as a microbolometer focal plane array (FPA) or microbolometer infrared FPA.
A typical image detector array requires a stable voltage reference signal, with minimal noise, to produce a high-quality image. However, a conventional voltage reference signal generator may provide a voltage reference signal that includes a high-frequency noise component and/or noise that varies from row to row within the detector array. These types of noise components are difficult to remove from the output signal of the image detector array and thus may limit the overall performance of the image detector array. As a result, there is a need for improved techniques to provide reference signals for an image detector array.